Thamesdown Transport
| logo = Thamesdown Transport logo.png | logo_size = 250 | image = Thamesdown MPD 103 NT04UTJ.JPG | image_size = 250 | image_caption = One of Thamesdown's Dennis Dart MPDs | founded = 1904 | headquarters = Swindon | locale = Borough of Swindon | service_area = | service_type = Urban and interurban bus services, school bus, Park and Ride | destinations = Swindon Urban Area, Aldbourne, Ashton Keynes, Avebury, Axford, Baydon, Beckhampton, Berwick Bassett, Bishopstone, Broad Hinton, Cricklade, East Kennet, Foxhill, Fyfield, Greatfield, Hinton Parva, Idstone, Kingstone Lisle, Lambourn, Leigh, Liddington, Lockeridge, Lydiard Millicent, Manton, Marlborough, Mildenhall, Newbury, Purton, Purton Stoke, Ramsbury, Stitchcombe, Uffington, Wanborough, West Kennet, West Overton, Winterbourne Bassett, Winterbourne Monkton | fleet = 113 buses | bus types = Optare Versa Integral Dennis Dart SLF/SPD, Scania L94/K230, Dennis Dominator, Volvo Olympian, Leyland Fleetline, Leyland Olympian. | operator = Thamesdown Transport Ltd | CEO = Paul Jenkins | website = www.thamesdown-transport.co.uk }} Leyland Olympian in the school bus livery.]] Thamesdown Transport is a bus operator serving the town of Swindon and the surrounding area in the Borough of Swindon and county of Wiltshire. The company is owned by Thamesdown Transport Ltd and Swindon Borough Council holds almost all of the shares.Form 363a (Annual Return) for the period ending 12/11/2008, retrieved from Companies House WebCHeck service 2009-10-30. Lists 1489000 shares issued, 1488999 owned by Swindon Borough Council As such, it is one of the few remaining municipal bus companies in the UK. History Thamesdown Transport has its origins in 1904, when Swindon Corporation started to operate electric trams. Motor-bus operation started in 1927 and two years later all the trams were replaced by this form of transport.Thamesdown Transport website On local government re-organisation in 1974 the functions of the corporation were transferred to the new Thamesdown district, and the name of the bus operation was changed to Thamesdown Transport. When bus services were deregulated in 1986, Thamesdown Transport was transferred to a limited company at arm's length from the owning council. During the 1980s, operations were expanded to rural areas around Swindon, to replace services withdrawn by Alder Valley and the Bristol Omnibus Company. Operations The current fleet is composed of 114 buses and 5 ancillary vehicles (including recovery and repair vehicles). Low Floor single decker buses have replaced double deckers in the major routes with the larger buses now repainted yellow and used mainly as school buses during term time. Thamesdown implemented a fastFare system on 1 August 2005 in which passengers must pay the exact fare as change will not be given by the driver. This has generated some criticism as its implementation often results in passengers paying more than the necessary fare. This can be due to not having the correct change or, more commonly, tourists and visitors being unaware of the policy until after they have deposited money. The reasoning behind the policy is that if the driver does not have to deal with giving change, passenger loading times are shortened, resulting in a faster and more reliable service. It also reduces the risk of attacks on drivers. Swindon's other main bus company Stagecoach in Swindon does not participate in the scheme. Tickets are valid on both companies services for the majority of destinations in the Swindon Urban Area and beyond, with Stagecoach providing Sunday services to the region. Thamesdown have also implemented a Text and Go service, where passengers can send an SMS message containing a seven digit bus stop identifier to a premium number to receive information about the next three buses due to arrive at that stop. Bus types * A Fleet - fitted with ticket machine and for general service. * B Fleet - Contract Bus (not fitted with ticket machine). * Training fleet - for use in training new drivers. * Withdrawn - taken out of service for refurbishment, repair or sale. Paint schemes The majority of the A fleet is painted in the standard livery apart from the following - *207 - 208: Hospital Express livery *213 - Rear Advertising The majority of the B fleet is painted in the predominantly yellow student livery except for - *299 - 1970s retro livery There Was also one single decker painted Gold in commemoration of the company's centenary, a couple of years ago. Fleetline Farewell On Saturday 16 February 2008 Thamesdown Transport ran special journeys between Haydon Wick and Eldene to say farewell to the Fleetline double-deck bus after 40 years of service. For the last few years these buses had been used as school buses. See also *Buses in Swindon *List of bus operating companies *Municipal bus companies References External links * Official website * Swindon Borough Council public transport homepage * Swindon Park and Ride * EFE Showbus photo gallery- Swindon Corporation Passenger Transport Department and Thamesdown Transport * Swindon Vintage Omnibus Society - Fleet information and images Category:Transport in Swindon Category:Companies based in Swindon Category:Bus operators in Wiltshire Category:Companies owned by municipalities of England Category:1904 establishments in England Category:Companies established in 1904